Hellripper - The Affair of the Poisons

Angry Metal Guy

Despite enjoying metal my whole life, I used to struggle with thrash beyond the biggest names. I found it bland, chugging and neanderthalic. 2017 was a watershed time for my enjoyment of the thrashing style, and part of that watershed was Coagulating Darkness by Hellripper. Bridging black, speed and thrash, James McBain’s solo project did what so many others (including the ‘classics’) previously had not and opened the doors to the genre. Though I never got round to a write-up, it’s one of the premium speedy albums of the 2010s and Hellripper shot up my list of favorite bands. The principle source of my devastation at the Covid-19 pandemic was that my first Hellripper live show (due this month) was postponed. This blow was assuaged by the promise of a second full-length album and The Affair of the Poisons has now hit. Can it meet my expectations?

The first and most critical point to understand about Hellripper, and therefore about Affair, is their sheer energy. Every facet of the release is geared towards accentuating the ceaseless motion that’s the core of their being. The riffs are rhythmic but darting, quick but memorable, forging something like Motörhead on cocaine. Meanwhile, the drums are simple but dominate the tempo, and the shout-along choruses are ridiculous but compelling. There are moments on each track which trigger the specific nerve to mosh; even more now than previously, I regret that I won’t be seeing Hellripper live any time soon. Unbridled energy is a constant throughout and it’s this quality which ultimately won me over. There are very few other artists which guarantee headbanging as completely as this guy. I’m actually headbanging as I write this sentence.

But what, you ask, does Affair sound like? The answer is Black Arts & Alchemy. And Coagulating Darkness. And Complete and Total Fucking Mayhem. It’s not a shocking album if you know the Hellripper sound. If you don’t, it sits at the intersection of black metal and speed metal, somewhat akin to recent Deströyer 666, though with a stronger classic rock and metal streak. Though Affair uses black metal’s tools (blast beats, raspy shrieks, tremolo-picked passages), the song-writing is closer to speed metal. The leads have the classic simplicity of the 80s; they’re simple, short but so bloody effective. Maiden-esque harmonies and solos surface on occasion, such as on “Savage Blasphemy,” while “Spectres of the Blood Moon Sabbath” almost has a biker rock influence. “Vampire’s Grave” hammers in this rocking tint, sounding as if it wouldn’t be out of place on a Steppenwolf record (notwithstanding the black metal elements….).

“The Hanging Tree” is the exception that proves the rule that speed metal controls the core songs. It stands out for being heavier, less melodic and closer to the murkiness of black metal. As the closing song, it offers a welcome change of pace and a bleaker, more intense finale. Unlike the other tracks which are speed metal layered with black metal, this track is black metal layered with speed metal. The concluding minute offers an acoustic guitar and windy synths which sit over staccato electric guitars and drums. It’s a nice moment and feels appropriately final. The sum position is that while Affair is not so different from previous Hellripper releases, it demonstrates a more diverse range of influences which do enough to keep things fresh.

Slotting nicely alongside the incredible energy and speedy style is the refreshing brevity. The 8 tracks only run for 30 minutes and the record’s all the better for it. Affair is a testament to less is more. Too many bands producing fast music drag out song and album lengths, resulting in a loss of efficacy. Metal fans who like albums, or even individual tracks, simply because they’re long can eat shit. This is how it should be done, especially with speed metal. Intra-song structures also work well. Though each features a truck-load of top notch riffs (have I mentioned that McBain is one of the best riff-mongers at the moment?), these are stitched together with nifty transitions which ensures tracks run smoothly. It’s in these moments that the drums can shine as they command the tempo and use of space.

It’s impossible to not feel super-charged while listening to Hellripper. I’ve had my neck, my leg, my whole body rocking out. Affair has an electric feel where everything sounds live and lively. It isn’t changing the face of heavy metal as it’s backwards-looking, and it doesn’t even change things much from their own previous releases. But it is exciting, dynamic, fun and rip-roaring. This is metal which lingers fondly on live music and the 80s and which comes with my heartiest of recommendations. Join the blood orgy of the she-devils.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Peaceville Records
Websites: hellripper.com | hellripper.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/hellripper
Releases worldwide: October 9th, 2020

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The Quietus

Metalheads – When was the last time you felt alive? Really alive? Like when you first heard Metallica careening with youthful abandon on the headbang-instigating Kill ‘Em All. Or earlier, when the double-bass-propelling intro to Motörhead’s Overkill tore its way through your soon-to-whimper speakers... Or when Venom’s Welcome to Hell entered you in league with Satan... Or Bathory’s self-titled debut LP burnt a goat-adorned black mark forever upon your soul…

Hellripper, the one-man black-thrash metal extravaganza, instantaneously encapsulates all of those first-hit feelings and memories in one fell swoop on riotous second album The Affair of the Poisons. Like his solo speed metal contemporaries in Midnight or Rebel Wizard (both of whom have great 2020 LPs in their respective arsenals), Hellripper’s Scottish highlander, James McBain, is a studious disciple of all things fist-pumpin’ and extreme and he keenly hones his classic metal and punk influences to a sharpened point.

Concerned with metal-centric themes of witchcraft and the occult, McBain’s infernal anthems, while in no way interested in stylistic evolution, cut straight to the core and righteously engage the reptilian (metalhead) brain in the same way his groundbreaking forebears once did. This new record is all about manic energy and forbidden enticement, and McBain as Hellripper nails it from the off, kicking open the gates of Hades on the opening title track. After a sleight-of-hand doomy intro, the guitars and drums conspire frantically and the track gallops forth on gilded hooves with gusto, as McBain’s coarse screams ride side-saddle. It’s really spirit-raising, just like some of the songs on the band’s 2017 debut, and there’s no let up as the album progresses.

‘Spectre of the Full Moon Sabbath’ bucks like Metallica’s ‘Whiplash’ if the Bay Area legends had worshipped Black Metal more than Diamond Head’s Lightning to the Nations. You can almost picture Lemmy seated at the right hand of the Dark Lord, tipping his Jack and Coke in approval of the marauding Motörhead-bangin’ anthem ‘Vampire’s Grave’, an early career highlight for this young songwriter. The more reality-steeped horror of “Beyond the Convent Halls”, meanwhile, recalls classic Teutonic thrash and Slayer before sliding straight into another effective section which brings to mind the signature sound of Carcass' melodic death metal opus, Heartwork, just in time for a serrated solo to cut through.

Such stylistic signposts are evident throughout this album for any metal lifer, but instead of turning into a game of name the influence, Hellripper subsume and unleash hellfire in such incandescent ways that the listener can barely hold on with bare hands. ‘Savage Blasphemy’, ‘Hexennacht’ and the brilliantly-titled ‘Blood Orgy of the She-Devils’ keep tempos in thrilling high range, yet never sacrifice songwriting sensibilities. These three tracks are packed to the tits with musical and vocal hooks, and this appears a paramount consideration for Hellripper throughout the album.

Closing with ‘The Hanging Tree’, its mid-paced beginnings rivalling the stomp of Satyricon circa Now, Diabolical as its split from neck to navel in raucous blackened punk fashion as it progresses, there’s an impression that McBain has laboured over each song, making sure only the most vital components remain, culling the fat without remorse. What’s left is a record worthy of cult-like devotion, and the fact that it’s all borne from the talented hand of one man instead of a legion, makes it all the more impressive.

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